What should a work voicemail greeting say?

Your name and role, when you'll call back in terms the caller can plan around, and one alternative for anything urgent. Skip the apology and the explanation of why you're unavailable. Fifteen seconds is enough.

What's a good voicemail greeting for work?

"Hi, you've reached Priya Nair at Hartwell & Reyes. I'm not able to take your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll call you back the same business day." Confirms the person, sets a callback window, asks for the two things you need.

How long should a work voicemail greeting be?

Ten to fifteen seconds, twenty at most. Callers start hanging up on long greetings, and everything that matters fits in three sentences.

Should I include my email address in my work voicemail greeting?

Only if email genuinely reaches you faster than a callback, and only one alternative in total. Say it slowly and spell out the 'at' and 'dot'. If you give more than one alternative, callers remember none.

Is a work voicemail greeting different from a business voicemail greeting?

Yes. A work greeting is for your own line or extension, where the caller already knows the company and needs to confirm they've reached you. A business greeting is for the company's main number, where the caller may know nothing yet and needs the business name, hours, and what to leave.

← Voicemail greeting generator

Work voicemail greeting examples for your own line

Sixteen scripts for the phone that's yours at work, not the company's main line: what to say, what to leave out, and how long is too long.

A work voicemail greeting is the message on your own line: the desk phone, extension, or company cell that rings for you specifically. It has a different job from the business's main greeting. Callers already know the company; what they need from you is confirmation they've reached the right person, when you'll call back, and what to do if it can't wait. This page gives you the three-sentence structure that does that, sixteen greetings you can record as written or adapt, and the mistakes that make a work greeting sound either robotic or unprofessional.

What a work greeting has to do in fifteen seconds

Three things, in this order:

Confirm who they've reached. Your name, and your role or team if callers might not know it. "You've reached Priya Nair in accounts receivable."
Tell them what happens next. When you'll call back, in terms they can plan around. "I return calls the same business day" beats "as soon as possible".
Give them an alternative for anything urgent: a colleague, the main line, or email.

That's it. You don't need to apologize for missing the call, explain why you're away, or ask them to have a nice day. Fifteen seconds is plenty; twenty is the upper limit before callers start hanging up.

Work greeting vs main-line greeting vs out-of-office

	Work greeting (this page)	Business main line	Out-of-office
Whose line	Your extension or work cell	The company's published number	Your line, temporarily
Caller knows	The company, maybe you	Nothing yet	You, and expects you
Must include	Your name, callback window, escalation	Business name, hours, what to leave	Return date, who's covering
Changes	Rarely	Rarely	Every absence

If you're setting up the number customers call to reach the business, you want business voicemail greeting examples. If you're about to be away, out-of-office greetings covers the temporary version.

Mistakes that make a work greeting worse

"I'm either away from my desk or on another call." The caller knows; that's why they got voicemail. Cut it.
No callback window. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can" gives the caller nothing to plan around and invites a second call.
A greeting that's out of date. Mentioning a role you no longer have, or a colleague who left, is worse than a generic greeting.
Too many alternatives. One escalation path. If you list the main line, a colleague, an email address, and a website, callers remember none of them.
Reading it flat. Write it, then say it as you'd say it to a person. Re-record until it sounds like you.
Asking for too much. Name and number is enough. Asking for an account number or "the nature of your call" on a personal line sounds like a call center.

Recording it well

Record somewhere quiet, standing up, with the script in front of you. Smile when you say your name; it comes through. Say your callback number slowly if you include one. Then dial your own line from another phone and listen to it as a caller would. If you'd hang up, re-record.

The voicemail greeting generator below will build a version from your name, role, and callback window if you'd rather start from a template than a blank page.

When your work voicemail is really the business's front door

For a lot of people at small companies, the "work line" *is* the business line: the owner's cell is the number on the website, the truck, and the Google listing. In that case a personal greeting isn't enough, because the caller isn't a colleague who'll leave a message; they're a customer who'll call the next listing.

The fix isn't a better greeting. It's having the call answered. An AI receptionist picks up when you can't, has the conversation, books the appointment or takes the details, and sends you a summary. Your voicemail greeting then only ever plays for the calls you chose not to forward.

Voicemail greeting examples

Copy any of these verbatim — swap your business name and the placeholder phone numbers in, and you have a recordable script in under a minute.

Standard, any role
Hi, you've reached Priya Nair at Hartwell & Reyes. I'm not able to take your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll call you back the same business day. Thanks.
Standard, with team
You've reached Marcus Lee on the customer success team at Acme. Leave your name, number, and a brief message and I'll return your call within one business day. If it's urgent, our main line is 415-555-0100.
Sales rep
Hi, this is Dana Ortiz with Acme. I'm with a client at the moment. Leave your name, number, and what you're looking for, and I'll get back to you today. If you'd rather book a time to talk, the scheduling link is in my email signature.
Support or service
You've reached Sam Okafor in support at Acme. Leave your name, number, and the issue you're seeing and I'll call you back within two business hours. For anything that's stopping you from working right now, call the support line at 415-555-0111.
Field technician
This is Jordan with Northside Plumbing. I'm on a job and can't answer. Leave your name, address, and what's going on, and I'll call you back between jobs. If water's actively leaking, call the office at 415-555-0122 and they'll dispatch someone.
Real estate agent
Hi, you've reached Elena Vasquez at Cedar Lane Realty. I'm likely with a client or at a showing. Leave your name, number, and the property you're calling about, and I'll get back to you within the hour during business hours.
Clinic or practice staff
You've reached Tom at Bright Smile Dental's front desk. I'm helping another patient. Leave your name, number, and whether you're calling to book, change, or ask about an appointment, and I'll call you back today. If this is a dental emergency, please call our emergency line at 415-555-0133.
Executive assistant
You've reached the office of Rachel Kim, managed by Alex. Leave your name, organization, and the reason for your call, and I'll make sure Rachel gets the message. For scheduling requests, email is fastest: alex at acme dot com.
Part-time hours
Hi, this is Maya at Acme. I'm in the office Tuesday through Thursday. Leave your name and number and I'll call you back on my next working day. For anything that can't wait, please call the main office at 415-555-0100.
Remote worker
You've reached Chris Alvarez. I work remotely and check voicemail between meetings. Leave your name, number, and a short message and I'll call back within the day. Email reaches me faster: chris at acme dot com.
Short and plain
Priya Nair, Acme. Leave your name and number; I'll call you back today.
Warm and personal
Hi, it's Dana. Sorry I missed you. Leave me your name and number and I'll ring you back as soon as I'm free, usually within the hour. Talk soon.
Bilingual, English and Spanish
You've reached Luis Romero at Acme. Leave your name and number and I'll call you back today. Ha llamado a Luis Romero en Acme. Deje su nombre y número y le devolveré la llamada hoy mismo.
New to the role
Hi, this is Sam Okafor. I've recently joined the accounts team at Acme. Leave your name, number, and what you're calling about, and I'll get back to you within one business day.
Redirecting to a colleague
You've reached Alex Chen. For questions about existing orders, please call Maya at extension 204. For everything else, leave your name and number and I'll return your call today.
Do-not-leave-a-message version
Hi, this is Jordan with Northside Plumbing. I don't check voicemail while I'm on jobs. Please text this number with your name and address, or call the office at 415-555-0122, and someone will get straight back to you.

Generate your own greeting

Pick your industry and tone, fill in two details, get three ready-to-record greetings — short, standard, and detailed.

Your details

IndustryTone

Business nameOffice hours (optional)Callback timeframe

Three greeting options

Short· ~20 words

Hi, you've reached our business. We can't take your call right now — please leave your name and the best number to reach you, and we'll get right back to you within one business day.

Standard· ~45 words

Thanks for calling our business. We're sorry we missed your call. Please leave your name and the best number to reach you and the reason for your call, and we'll get right back to you within one business day.

Detailed· ~70 words

Hello, you've reached our business. We couldn't pick up just now. For everything else, please leave your name, the best number to reach you, and a brief message, and we'll call you back within one business day. Thanks for calling.

Edit any output before recording it. On iPhone, set under Phone → Voicemail → Greeting → Custom. On Android, the path varies by carrier — most use the Voicemail app or dial *86 on Verizon.

FAQ

What should a work voicemail greeting say?: Your name and role, when you'll call back in terms the caller can plan around, and one alternative for anything urgent. Skip the apology and the explanation of why you're unavailable. Fifteen seconds is enough.
What's a good voicemail greeting for work?: "Hi, you've reached Priya Nair at Hartwell & Reyes. I'm not able to take your call right now. Please leave your name and number and I'll call you back the same business day." Confirms the person, sets a callback window, asks for the two things you need.
How long should a work voicemail greeting be?: Ten to fifteen seconds, twenty at most. Callers start hanging up on long greetings, and everything that matters fits in three sentences.
Should I include my email address in my work voicemail greeting?: Only if email genuinely reaches you faster than a callback, and only one alternative in total. Say it slowly and spell out the 'at' and 'dot'. If you give more than one alternative, callers remember none.
Is a work voicemail greeting different from a business voicemail greeting?: Yes. A work greeting is for your own line or extension, where the caller already knows the company and needs to confirm they've reached you. A business greeting is for the company's main number, where the caller may know nothing yet and needs the business name, hours, and what to leave.

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